Coleus plant named ‘UF20-103-3’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides) plant named ‘UF20-103-3’, selected for having a combination of desirable traits that make it well-suited for use as an annual plant in the summer landscape. ‘UF20-103-3’ was selected for its consistent foliage color patterning, and also for its fast growth rate and vigor in the greenhouse and landscape. ‘UF20-103-3’ has ruffled, highly lobed foliage that is predominantly dark red with consistent yellow green accents and leaf margins. ‘UF20-103-3’ maintains these contrasting colors and patterns in both sun and shade. ‘UF20-103-3’ is upright and spreading in habit, but it is highly branched, growing wider than it does tall.

Genus and species: Coleus scutellarioides.

Cultivar denomination: ‘UF20-103-3’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

N/A.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FEDERAL RESEARCH SUPPORT

N/A.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Coleus plantnamed ‘UF20-103-3’. The new cultivar ‘UF20-103-3’ originated from anopen pollination conducted in May-November 2019 in Citra, Florida,between the female Coleus plant ‘UF17-73-7’ (unpatented) and an unknownmale Coleus plant. A single seedling was chosen in May 2020 for furtherasexual propagation in Gainesville, Florida.

The new cultivar ‘UF20-103-3’ has been reproduced asexually for over 18months through vegetative meristem tip cuttings and has been found toretain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexualpropagations. ‘UF20-103-3’ was first propagated asexually by vegetativemeristem tip cuttings in May 2020 in Gainesville, Florida, and hasremained true-to-type since that time.

Plant Breeder's Rights for the new cultivar ‘UF20-103-3’ have not beenapplied for, and ‘UF20-103-3’ has not been made publicly available morethan one year prior to the filing date of this application.

When compared to the female parent ‘UF17-73-7’, ‘UF20-103-3’ has largehighly lobed ruffled leaves that are slightly longer than they are wideand are predominantly dark red with yellow green margins. In contrast,‘UF17-73-7’ has smaller leaves that are twice as long than they are wideand are colored dark maroon with dark green margins and predominant pinkmid-veins. ‘UF20-103-3’ has a vigorous upright and spreading habit thatis well-branched, whereas ‘UF17-73-7’ is less vigorous and more uprightin habit with less lateral branching and a less spreading habit.

The new cultivar ‘UF20-103-3’ was selected for its consistent foliagecolor patterning, and also for its fast growth rate and vigor in thegreenhouse and landscape. ‘UF20-103-3’ has foliage that is predominantlydark red with consistent yellow green leaf margins. Normally this colorcombination changes in either full sun (predominantly to dark brick red)or full shade (predominantly to brownish red), with the consistent lossof the distinctive yellow green leaf margins. ‘UF20-103-3’ isexceptional because it maintains consistent dark red foliage color andbright yellow green margins in both sun and shade. Vegetative cuttingsfrom ‘UF20-103-3’ form roots in one week and consistently produce vividpink color in the greenhouse.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar ‘UF20-103-3’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may varywith variations in environment and cultural practices such astemperature, light intensity, fertilization, irrigation, and applicationof plant growth regulators without any change in genotype.

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of ‘UF20-103-3’ when grown under normal horticulturalpractices in Gainesville, Florida: ‘UF20-103-3’ has the combination ofvigorous, upright and spreading growth habit, excellent heat tolerance,and consistent multi-colored leaves that are significantly differentthan other Coleus plants; it has superior stability in foliage color inboth sun and shade conditions, and it has a vigorous growth rate withexcellent lateral branching, making it suitable for propagators andproducers; and ‘UF20-103-3’ has been observed to have long-seasonperformance in landscape trials in Gainesville, Florida.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

This new Coleus plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs,which show the plant's form and foliage. The colors shown are as true ascan be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.FIGS. 2-5 were taken from plants grown eight weeks from unrootedcuttings in July-September 2022 in a glass-covered greenhouse inGainesville, Florida.

FIG. 1 shows the pedigree of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF20-103-3’ asshown and described herein;

FIG. 2 shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of the new Coleuscultivar;

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the foliage of the new Coleus cultivar;

FIG. 4 shows the adaxial side of an immature leaf (left) and a matureleaf (right) of the new Coleus cultivar, with corresponding R.H.S. colordesignations; and

FIG. 5 shows the abaxial side of an immature leaf (left) and a matureleaf (right) of the new Coleus cultivar, with corresponding R.H.S. colordesignations.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CULTIVAR

Foliage color was determined under full sun conditions in the middle ofthe day in a glass-covered greenhouse. Color references are to TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London(R.H.S.), 2007 5th Edition. Coleus leaves are rarely one solid color butencompass hues, shades and tints, and color patterns differ from onegenotype to another due to varying levels of variegation. The followingdetailed description of ‘UF20-103-3’ was obtained using ten-week-oldplants grown from unrooted cuttings in February-April 2022 in aglass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Florida. The plants werepropagated in mist for ten days after cuttings were stuck, then grown inone-gallon pots for approximately eight and a half additional weeks.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Botanical classification:    -   -   Family.—Lamiaceae.        -   Botanical name.—Coleus scutellarioides.        -   Common name.—Coleus.        -   Cultivar.—‘UF20-103-3’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female or seed parent.—‘UF17-73-7’.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Unknown.-   Plant description:    -   -   Habit.—Upright and spreading.        -   Height (from top of soil).—40-45 cm.        -   Width (horizontal plant diameter).—60-65 cm.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cuttings.—Vegetative meristem tip cuttings having at            least 1 node.        -   Time to initiate roots.—3-4 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—7-10 days.        -   Root habit.—Fibrous.        -   Root description.—Callus forms in 2 to 3 days, roots            initiate in 3-4 days and become a highly branched cutting in            7-10 days.-   Branches:    -   -   Quantity per plant.—Approximately 6.        -   Branch color.—RHS 145C (light yellow green).        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Pubescence.—Not present.        -   Stem description.—Square-shaped stem.        -   Branch diameter.—0.7-0.8 cm at the base of a 35-cm-long            branch.        -   Branch length.—35-40 cm.        -   Internode length.—5.5 cm measured at mid-branch.        -   Anthocyanin.—Not present.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Quantity of leaves per branch.—18-20. Arrangement: Opposite.        -   Fragrance.—Not fragrant.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Length.—12-13 cm.        -   Width.—11-12 cm.        -   Apex.—Broadly acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Highly lobed.        -   Leaf texture.—Upper surface: Pulverulent. Lower surface:            Smooth.        -   Venation color.—Upper surface, apex: RHS N186C (greyish            red). Upper surface, base: RHS 161C (pale yellow). Lower            surface: RHS 145A (yellow green).        -   Venation pattern.—Upper surface: Reticulate. Lower surface:            Reticulate.        -   Color, immature leaf.—Upper surface, major color: RHS 187C            (dark red). Upper surface, margins: RHS N144C (yellow            green). Upper surface, base: RHS N144C (yellow green). Lower            surface, major color: RHS 146C (yellow green). Lower            surface, margins: RHS 144B (yellow green). Lower surface,            area around veins: RHS N186A (purplish grey).        -   Color, mature leaf.—Upper surface, major color: RHS 187A            (dark red). Upper surface, margins: RHS N144C (yellow            green). Upper surface, base: RHS 140A (yellowish green).            Upper surface, spots: RHS 160B (light yellow). Lower            surface, major color: RHS 139B (yellowish green). Lower            surface, area around veins: RHS N186A (purplish grey).        -   Petiole length.—Approximately 2.5 cm.        -   Petiole diameter.—0.3-0.4 cm.        -   Petiole color.—RHS 145A (yellow green).        -   Petiole texture.—Smooth, no pubescence.-   Flowers and seeds: Flowers and seeds have not been observed to date    during formal trials in Gainesville, Florida.-   Fruit/seed set: Fruit/seed not observed.-   Disease and insect resistance: Disease and insect resistance is    typical of the species, thus no claims are made of any superior    disease or insect resistance with this cultivar. The most common    insect pests observed on this plant in Gainesville, Florida have    been long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus spp.), which    occur on older stock plant material held in the greenhouse for over    3-4 months. Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also    been observed in plants confined in greenhouses with mixed crops    (peppers) infected with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella    occidentalis). The most common pathogen of this species in the U.S.    is downy mildew (Perononspora lamii). This pathogen has been    observed in stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing    seasons.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

When the new cultivar ‘UF20-103-3’ is compared to the commercialcultivar ‘UF17-52-25’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 34,041, commercial name“Copperhead”), ‘UF20-103-3’ has a yellow green coloration along the baseof the upper surface of mature leaves that is broken into numerousspots, whereas ‘UF17-52-25’ has a yellow green coloration along the baseof the upper surface of mature leaves that is more broadly open withlittle to no spotting.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Coleus scutellarioides plantnamed ‘UF20-103-3’ as shown and described herein.